Percy Jackson and the Heir of Slytherin [Book 2]

51) Into the Tunnels

We forced Lockhart down stairs and corridors and eventually into Myrtle's bathroom.

Lockhart walked in first. He was shaking.

Myrtle was sitting on her toilet, the cubicle door open. "Oh, it's you," she said when she saw Harry. "What do you want this time?"

"To ask you how you died," Harry said.

"Ooooh, it was dreadful," she said. "It happens right in here. I died in this very cubicle. I remember it so well. I'd hidden because Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses. The door was locked, and I was crying, and then I heard somebody come in. They said something funny. A different language, I think it must have been. Anyway, what really got me was that it was a boy speaking. So I unlocked the door, to tell him to go and use his own toilet, and then I died."

"How?" Harry asked.

"No idea," Myrtle said. "I just remember seeing a pair of great big yellow eyes. I was torn away from my body, and thrown into this hole. I managed to catch the edge of the hole, but my feet dipped into it and it was the worst pain I've ever felt. I knew I couldn't go down there. I just couldn't. So I stayed. I decided to haunt Olive Horby. She was so sorry she ever laughed at my glasses."

"Where exactly did you see the eyes?" Harry asked.

"Somewhere there," Myrtle pointed towards a sink.

We hurried over to it.

I almost didn't catch it. Scratched on the side of the faucet was a tiny snake.

"That tap's never worked," Myrtle said happily as Harry tried to turn it.

"Harry," Ron said, "say something. Something in Parseltongue."

"But—" Harry frowned, looking at the tap. "Open up."

"English," I said, shaking my head.

Harry stared at the faucet, eyes narrowed. He opened his mouth, and I heard him hissing. The faucet flowed brightly, and started to spin. The sink sank away, and in its place was a pipe large enough for a man to climb through.

Harry looked up at us, "I'm going down there."

"Me too," Ron said.

"Me three," I smiled at Harry.

"Well, you hardly seem to need me," Lockhart said. "I'll just—"

Harry and Ron pointed their wands at him as he tried to turn the doorknob. I held my sword.

"You can go first," Ron growled.

"Boys," Lockhart was white faced, walking towards the pipe, "boys, what good will it do?"

Lockhart slid his legs into the pipe when I poked him gently with my sword.

"I really don't think—" Lockhart said, but Ron pushed him through the pipe. Harry followed after him quickly. I went after him. Ron went last.

The pipe was slimy. It was gross. And dark. My sword hit the wall once, and bounced off dangerously, so I had to cap it.

When I shot out of the pipe, Harry was brushing himself off and Lockhart was white-faced as ever. Ron shot out not long after me.

"We must be miles under the school," Harry said, his voice echoing off of the large, black walls.

"Under the lake, probably," Ron said, squinting in the dark.

I uncapped my sword as Harry lit up his wand. "C'mon," he said, and we started off down the dark tunnel.

"Remember," Harry whispered, "any sign of movement, close your eyes straight away..."